A Broken Jaw and A Broken Heart
by overloyalbuddy
Summary: One-shot. How Crookedstar broke his jaw, and got his names. R


Palekit and his brothers, Stripedkit and Tightkit, dashed around the rocks by the river, squealing and playing joyfully. Their mother, Sunnyleaf, watched lazily from the shade of a willow tree.

"Can't catch me!" Palekit teased, dashing along the short but steep cliff by the water. Tightkit, slender but muscled, sprung playfully at his littermate.

That was when it happened.

Tightkit's paws swiped at Palekit's side a little to forcefully. Palepaw slipped, falling…

Sunnyleaf yowled in horror and darted forward, watching her kit go down, down, down…

_Thud._

Palekit awoke blearily. He was in the medicine cat's den. Roughpads, the medicine cat, and his apprentice, Mudpaw, were hovering over him, applying herbs and poultices.

"What happened?" Palekit asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"You fell," Roughpads said gently. "Perhaps you would like to see your reflection. Mudpaw?"

Mudpaw gently lifted Palekit by the scruff of his neck and carried him to a pool of water in the corner. Tentatively, Palekit looked in.

His jaw was twisted the wrong way. Unable to long any longer, Palekit turned away.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their on prey gather beneath the Hollowstone!"

Mudpaw began to pick Palekit up again, but he flinched away. "I can walk."

They left the den and gathered beneath the leader's den. Flowerstar, the rosy colored leader of RiverClan, looked down on them all.

"Today we gather to name three new apprentices," she announced. Palekit's ears pricked up. He knew he had reached his sixth moon, but with his broken jaw he had forgotten all about it.

"Tightkit, from this moment until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Tightpaw. Magpiepelt, you will be mentor to Tightpaw."

Tightpaw touched noses with his black-and-white she-cat mentor and went into the throng.

"Stripedkit, from this moment until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Stripedpaw. Shallowroots, you shall be mentor to Stripedpaw."

The pale brown she-cat dipped her head and led her new apprentice to sit by her.

Flowerstar stared thoughtfully at Palepaw for the longest time. Then she opened her mouth.

"Palepaw, from this moment onward, you will be known as Crookedpaw."

Crookedpaw filled with humiliation and dislike for his young leader. How could she draw such attention to his injury now, of all times?

"Skinnytail, you will be mentor to Crookedpaw."

Crookedpaw looked dully at the scrawny gray tom that was his mentor. He was miserable.

Thanks to Flowerstar.

Stripedpaw and Crookedpaw sat proud in front of the Hollowstone, strong young cats, ready to be named as warriors. Tightpaw had died of greencough last leafbare, and he would never be made a warrior.

Flowerstar, still youthful and resplendent, looked down on the two warriors.

"I, Flowerstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Stripedpaw, Crookedpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Stripedpaw, from this moment onward, you will be known as Stripedpelt. StarClan honors you for your quick thinking and intelligence, and welcomes you as a full warrior of RiverClan."

Stripedpelt licked his leaders shoulder respectfully and stepped aside for his brother.

Flowerstar looked down upon Crookedpaw for an immeasurable second. Crookedpaw stared back with respectful loathing. Flowerstar closed her eyes.

"Crookedpaw, from this moment onward, you will be known as Crookedjaw. StarClan honors you for your strength and leadership abilities, and welcomes you as a full member of RiverClan."

"Stripedpelt! Crookedjaw! Stripedpelt! Crookedjaw!" RiverClan chanted, welcoming their two newest warriors.

As the crowd dispersed, their came a rich, deep voice. "Crookedjaw."

It was Mudfur, who had just become RiverClan medicine cat last night at the Moonstone, when Roughpads had retired.

"Yes, Mudfur?"

"StarClan spoke to me last night. They said that one day, you would be leader of RiverClan, and prepare us against our darkest moons."

Crookedjaw stared at him in shock. "Thank you for telling me this, Mudfur."

The brown tom nodded and turned away.

As he took his spot for the vigil, he felt a glow of peace. He would one day be Crookedstar, guide to the hearts of RiverClan.

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